Lancaster singer stops in hometown before European tour

Blues rocker Pam Taylor – live Friday at The Craft Stand in Lancaster – is set to blast into a whole new career orbit. Her third album “Steal Your Heart,” for this popular, award-winning Lancaster native, hits the streets in late September.

Ahead of that she will embark on an tour of Europe in August. It’s all part of a new phase of Taylor’s career that resulted from a series of transitions, revelations, and unexpected course corrections. Those events helped launch her music career onto a higher plane of possibilities.

Career success including popularity and awards thanks to well-received albums and upbeat band incarnations had set the stage for Taylor as a blues phenom. Her bright future hit a wall of health issues and personal disappointments. This series of setbacks rattled her progress and confidence, but a new level of self-awareness and determination took hold that allowed Taylor to emerge stronger and more focused.

A conversation with Taylor reveals her to be doggedly determined as well as wildly effervescent. Thrilled by the turn of events in her career, she acknowledges it was a turn that took self-awareness to fight back. “Life throws me lemons, so I made lemonade,” she said. “Rewriting all the bad stuff and refusing to be a victim and evolving – not necessarily 100 percent – but enough to examine the depths of my music.”

That scrutiny led Taylor to a new musical pathway. “I’ve evolved into a singer/songwriter, not just one genre – the blues,” she explained, “but to be the writer/artist I need to be to tell my story and write for myself.”

She emerged with a newfound sense of herself and a brave approach to music. “The blues became a catalyst for me connecting to all the musicians who came before, especially the early blues artists,” Taylor said. “Now, it’s me solo, telling a story, singing songs, hanging out. More things can happen and more fun – got to have fun,” she added.

Taylor immediate goals include the European tour that starts in two weeks, “through Scotland, England, The Netherlands, Israel,” she said, “touring the UK and appearances including the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, as well as workshops, student video projects, writing blogs, and more.

“It’s a pilgrimage. I thought I was ‘written out’ now I’m rebuilding. I want my life to be magical. No one needs to feel ordinary. Everything starts to connect. I’ve never had so much faith in the future.”

She’s looking forward to performing live for a hometown crowd. ‘It’ll be me, solo,” Taylor said, “singing songs, telling stories, connecting – in my hometown – all hanging out with me and it’s very kid friendly. I can fully be myself in the moment – to feel the energy and love.”

Connect to the brave new world of music, discovery, and healing with Pam Taylor Friday at The Craft Stand, 134 S. Main St., Lancaster. For show info call 803-285-1050 or check thecraftstan@gmail.com. Get more on the music at pamtaylormusic.com.

Elsewhere

The 30th Edition of NightBEAT Tour of Champions rolls into BB&T Field at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem Sunday. This year NightBEAT, which is the signature event produced by Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps based in Fort Mill, will feature the most DCI corps ever for 2017. Performing corps include The Academy, Tempe, Ariz.; Blue Devils, Concord, Calif.; Bluecoats, Canton, Ohio; Boston Crusaders, Boston, Mass.; The Cadets, Allentown, Pa; Carolina Crown, Fort Mill; The Cavaliers, Rosemont, Ill.; Colts, Dubuque, Iowa; Crossmen, San Antonio, Texas; Madison Scouts, Madison, Wis.; Mandarins, Sacramento, Calif.; Phantom Regiment, Rockford, Ill.; Santa Clara Vanguard, Santa Clara, Calif.; and Troopers, Casper, Wyoming.

The US Marine Drum & Bugle Corps will also perform. Be there for NightBEAT 2017, Sunday at BB&T Field-Wake Forest University in Winston Salem. For more details, go to carolinacrown.org.

Coming up

Friday: Motel Glory EP Release with Temperance League and Gardeners, Concerts at The Courtroom, Gettys building, Rock Hill; Hoodwinked at Empire Pizza, Rock Hill; Sweatin’ Bullets at SandBar Grill, Rock Hill; Carolina Back Roads at The Handle Bar Tavern, Catawba; Parker & Company at Frog’s Bar & Grill, Lancaster; Moses Jones at Olio’s, Gastonia; Shiloh Hill at Dreamchaser’s Brewery, Waxhaw; Karaoke with Rev. Jym at City Tavern, Waxhaw; Shannon Lee & The Grab Bag Band at The Lodge-Ballantyne, S.Charlotte; Matt Stratford at Wild Wing Café-Ayrsley, S. charlotte; The Lenny Federal Band at Comet Grill, Charlotte.

Saturday: Shannon Lee at Original Empire Pizza, Rock Hill; Frankie Sciandra at Hartland’s, Rock Hill; Bad Inc.-Bad Company/Paul Rogers Tribute at Sylvia Theater, York; David Childers at Olio’s, Gastonia; The Rockaholics at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, Baxter, Fort Mill; Little Johnny Trailer Trash Acoustic at Hobo’s, Fort Mill; Sons of Carolina at Brew’s Tavern, Fort Mill; Karaoke with Rev. Jym at SC Shore Club, Tega Cay, Fort Mill; Square Roots Music, Christina Raine & LS Brown at Hickory Tavern, Indian Land: Vinyl Tones at Dreamchaser’s Brewery, Waxhaw; Delta Fire at Wild Wing Café-Ayrsley, Charlotte; Howard Jones, The English Beat, Men Without Hats, Modern English at Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, Charlotte; English plus Mack Fowler & Co. at Big Al’s Pub, Charlotte.

Sunday: Khaos Kings at The Handle Bar Tavern, Catawba; Carolina Crown Drum Bugle Corps at NightBEAT Tour of Champions, BB&T Stadium, Winston-Salem.

This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Lancaster singer stops in hometown before European tour."